Former Tottenham owner apologizes for racist tweet about Senegal's World Cup team

Former Tottenham owner and current TV personality and politician Alan Sugar has apologized for a tweet that compared Senegal World Cup players to people who sell sunglasses and purses on a beach in southern Spain.

Alan Sugar at an event in 2010. (Getty)

Sugar, 71, was harshly criticized for the tweet, which has since been deleted. It included a picture of Senegal players alongside sunglasses and handbags, with the caption: “I recognize some of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multi tasking resourceful chaps”.

(Screenshot: @Lord_Sugar on Twitter)

Sugar at first pushed back on the criticism: “Why not it is meant to be funny … for god sake,” he wrote on Twitter. “I cant see what I have to apologise for … you are OTT … its a bloody joke.”

Then he offered a non-apology, which has also since been deleted, in which he twice referred to his own tweet as “funny”:

“Just been reading the reaction to my funny tweet about the guy on the beach in Marbella. Seems it has been interpreted in the wrong way as offensive by a few people. Frankly I can’t see that, I think it’s funny. But I will pull it down if you insist.”

Only after continued backlash to those tweets as well as the original one did he backtrack, take them down, and apologize:

I misjudged me earlier tweet. It was in no way intended to cause offence, and clearly my attempt at humour has backfired. I have deleted the tweet and am very sorry.

Ironically, that tweet was sandwiched in between two about a recent report on ethnic diversity at the BBC, with quotes from BBC’s head of diversity and inclusion.

In addition to hosting the BBC show, Sugar is known for owning and chairing English Premier League club Tottenham from 1991-2001. He is also an entrepreneur, and a member of the UK’s House of Lords – hence the “Lord” in front of his name on Twitter and elsewhere.

Dawn Butler, a fellow British politician, criticized Sugar for the tweet:

Very troubled after seeing @Lord_Sugar racist tweet. I will be writing to the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards and the @BBC calling for an immediate investigation. Racism has no place in Parliament or society. Swift action must be taken. pic.twitter.com/43aXhBYUyi